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Are you a creative person? Most people like to think they are. But the fact is that we can all benefit from a boost to our creative juices.

Those who are truly creative don’t copy what others do; instead, they might use innovative ideas from others as a springboard to come up with a unique application, product, or service for themselves. They tend to distance themselves from the competition rather than compete with them. If they see another company or person copying what they do, they create something new and better. In other words, they are able to leverage their creativity and their innovative capabilities to attain long-term success.

So would you like to be more creative than you are right now? Here are 10 strategies for increasing your level of creativity.

Truly creative people have developed their ability to observe and to use all of their senses, which can get dull over time. Take time to “sharpen the blade” and take everything in.

Innovation is based on knowledge. Therefore, you need to continually expand your knowledge base. Read things you don’t normally read.

Your perceptions may limit your reasoning. Be careful about how you’re perceiving things. In other words, defer judgment.

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